Do you ever struggle to stop reading a book? When I start reading something, I usually finish it in one go, even if it takes the whole night and ruins my next day.
Even if it’s a mediocre book that doesn’t interest me much, I’ll just try to skim through, but I have to reach the last page. This makes reading quite difficult for me.
by HiScarlet
25 Comments
Nope, I’m the king of the DNF. There are too many good books out there, more than I’ll ever get to in my lifetime to waste time reading a book I don’t like instead of reading a book I DO like.
Never.
Way too many good books out there to waste even a second on a book I do not enjoy.
DNF supporter.
I used to be that way and then realized I was wasting so much time on books I hated. There’s too many good books to waste time on books you don’t like. I was about 75% of the way through a book the other day and DNF’d it cause I realized I wasn’t having fun. Read the synopsis and saved myself a few hours
I used to feel the same way, but it’s like getting the first scratch on a new car — once you DNF your first book, it becomes easier and easier to accept when a book just isn’t worth your time and you put it down. Highly recommend it, it’s very freeing.
I still hang in with the reading far too often. I will eventually quit reading when it isn’t a good time most of the time, but I could be a lot kinder to myself by quitting sooner.
Nah i struggle to keep reading it lol if i stop i feel so FREED. Pushing through a book im not enjoying just puts me in to a slump lol
I used to be a lot worse about it, but I have gotten better at DNF-ing a book. To be fair though, I am good at picking out books I will like so often I DNF because I am just not in the mood for the book at that time, and I try to go back when I AM in the mood.
I have DNF’d I think 10 books in the last year. I got back into reading in 2022 and until like, September of 2023 I refused to DNF, but I feel so much better when I do cuz I’m not dreading the reading process.
Life is too short to read something I’m not enjoying. So many books but so little time, you know?
Yes, I do. I’m awful at DNFing. I think I feel an investment and think that maybe it gets better later on, which it can, but not all that much. Especially if I’ve bought it, it’s kind of a literal sunk cost thing.
I struggle to keep reading it, even though it’s interesting 🥲
You’ll notice many on here will proudly type of their DNF skills when this, of course, will lead to a narrow area of interest.
A better strategy would be to do your research and read all the good stuff, even when it’s a struggle.
Open-mindedness is key. Expand your horizons.
Classics became classics for a reason whilst most modern writing will be soon forgotten. Let this be a guide when selecting your first thousand or so books 👍
You and the writer have an implied agreement. You will genuinely try to engage each other through the book at hand. The agreement is a will’o’the wisp thing, and the more time spent reading in general, the easier it is to affirm or release a particular book.
I used to finish every single book I began.
Then I got Kindle Unlimited and considering how self-published stuff is hit and miss I learned that if at some point I get bored or I hate it, it’s time to stop.
Not in the slightest. It’s literally insane to me that anyone will say, I’m intentionally ruining my day so I can prove nothing to no one.
I struggle to KEEP reading a book, even if it IS interesting 🥲
I read The Last Thing He Told Me from cover to cover and hated every second of it. I will never finish a book that I’m not enjoying again, felt like an enormous waste of time.
I used to. Books were hard to come by – at least at the speed I read. Dropping one felt utterly wrong.
Now, Kindle Unlimited means there’s virtually no cost to just checking out the next thing on my list instead. I’ll try any book, but am very willing to drop any book.
No. If a book doesn’t grab me in the first few pages I’m out. If I get halfway through a book and I lose interest I’m out. I had two chapters to go before finishing The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell and I got bored and DNF’d it.
Yes my ocd won’t let me. I have a completion problem. I’m really trying to learn to stop, 🙈
I used to struggle to DNF a book. I still largely will finish a book I am not particularly enjoying just so I can say I truly did not enjoy any part of it, but if I absolutely hate it and can’t even bring myself to read it when I put it down, I will give up. Why make reading a chore when I enjoy it so much, ya know? The feeling of reading a book I am truly enjoying far outweighs the “guilt” I feel for not finishing a book I’d rather use as kindling for a fire.
I used to think I “had to” finish a book, but I’ve realized life’s too short. There are too many good books waiting. If I don’t finish it, who’s harmed by that choice? If I do, it’s my own time and pleasure that I lose.
I’ve never DNF’d a book. I just gotta finish what I start, it really sucks when it’s the first book of a trilogy!
No. I will drop books after a few pages if it’s that incompatible with me
No, but I do struggle with feeling the need to “flounce out”. I may not finish this godawful book, but I want the author to know it’s the bad writing that’s the problem.
Sometimes, usually late at night and my brain is rebelling against the idea of sleep. Petulant little shit.
This ends with me reading with one eye open, half shut, hypnic jerks, and dropping the book on my face or the floor.
My brain is an asshole.